Fighting For Better UK Mental Health Systems

Talking about mental health can be difficult, especially for those that have never experienced the wide range of conditions that can affect our minds and lives. So please welcome Time To Talk day!

Today is the day we are urged to start that conversation and end the stigma surrounding mental health. We all have mental and physical health yet people often feel scared to discuss mental health as readily as we do our physical ailments. It’s easier to tell someone you have the flu and ask for help than it is to tell someone you are having a panic attack.

Discussing mental health doesn’t need to be a big, in depth conversation (but it can be if you want!) A text, a cup of coffee or a gentle stroll can be the perfect place to start. A sympathetic ear, or just a caring face, means the world. The quicker we dispel the myths and stigmas surrounding mental health the quicker we can start recovery and really help those that need it. Whatever you are feeling, you are not alone so let’s talk and help each other!

Here at Mind Our Minds we know the importance of talking and the negative effects of these stigmas on our mental health so we have asked for your experiences with mental health to help others start the conversation. Below are some of our submissions to get you started and keep an eye out for our guest post. If you feel inspired to share your story or experience too, email us at blog.mindourminds@gmail.com

Jade, Berkshire

Heather, Lancashire
I’ve learnt that talking is the best for everyone. I have grown even closer to my family, my boyfriend understands and helps me so much and me and close friends can laugh and uupport each other through our bad days. Talking gives you the chance to unload your burden and get help you need.

Mental health recovery to me begins with self care, coming in all shapes and sizes.

John,Liverpool

Anonymous

Flowers and cards from friend and family when I was in bed with sever anxiety.

In order to make sure Mind Our Minds grows to start improving Mental Health services, we need people to help with the following Roles:

Blog Editor

Social Media Director

Community Development Officer

Campaigns Director

Director of Research

Policy Director

Volunteer Co-ordinator

Fundraising Manager

Web Designer

Finance Officer

Chief Executive Officer

Outreach Officers

Independent Analysers

You could also create a local Mind Our Minds group, run your owncampaign or something else you think you could help with.

Each position could do with two people so as the pressure isnever put on one person alone and as such we can each lookafter our own mental health. All roles are currently unpaidand should take 3-5 hours per week.

Please email mindourmindsblog@gmail.com if you think you could fill a role

Thankyou

Interested in improving mental health services?

Mind Our Minds needs people from all walks of life to become trustees. This means you act as an independent voice from the charity but have a large say in how we run.

In order to apply to become a Trustee, please answer the followingquestions and send your answers to @MindOurMinds on Twitter, or email mindourmindsblog@gmail.com

1. Why do you want to be a Mind Our Minds trustee?2. What experiences do you have that might be useful for Mind OurMinds?3. If any, what relationship do you have to NHS Mental HealthServices?4. If you could make 3 key changes to NHS Mental Health services,what would they be?5. What further support would you need to take part? (This willnot affect your application)

Thank you

Applications close on the 18th NovemberApplications for internal roles will follow shortly. If you have anyquestions feel free to email mindourmindsblog@gmail.com

Introduced by the NHS to provide treatment to individuals who would benefit from care at home rather than in hospital as in in-patient, the CRHT was seen as a release valve for the NHS. The idea was that, by reducing the stress on in-patient services and supporting early discharge of patients from acute wards to home, they would be able to provide a necessary support function to both the NHS and patients in receiving treatment.

However, according to an article by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (http://pb.rcpsych.org/content/40/4/172), there is a significant increase in the number of suicides under the care of the CRHT as opposed to those as an in-patient (14.6 in 10000 and 8.8 in 10000 respectively).

So, why is this?

Talking with one individual who has recently experienced in-patient treatment, they explained they felt safer in hospital.

“When I was told I needed treatment, they explained to me the option of having this treatment at home. When they explained it, I was scared. Not because of what the treatment would contain, but because there would be times where I would still be on my own.

“I felt I needed to be in an environment where I would be kept safer, away from those temptations which were already part of the plans to end my life. The idea that I could receive intensive treatment, and then be left, vulnerable, and living on my own, did not seem suitable.”

(Anonymous male patient, 25).

Whilst this is only the view point of one individual, it does highlight a real concern. Those people who require in-patient admissions normally need to be admitted as a way to remove them from the temptations and triggers which have led them to the point of needing intensive treatment. To offer this treatment, in that environment, whilst potentially suitable for some, clearly does not fit all. Those at particular risk who this form of pathway should be carefully assessed must include those who live alone, or have a home environment that can exacerbate the situation.

However, that is not to say that the CRHT should be scrapped. As well as providing treatment at home from the initial point, it also helps those stepping down from in-patient care and their post-discharge adjustments.

“Being told I was being discharged from the hospital, I felt a lot of my anxiety and concerns returning,” said Sarah, 31. “I had been able to work through my problems in hospital as I was away from the stresses of the outside world, and had someone I could talk to at any time.

“Being offered the support of CRHT really helped me relax about being discharged. I knew I was still going to have support around me, with someone I could call upon if things got bad. For me, it really did make everything easier and help me adjust to real life once more.”

Suicide rates are clearly higher amongst patients under CRHT. That cannot be denied. Nor should it be ignored. Whilst the NHS continue to lose psychiatric beds, more vulnerable people who should be admitted to wards with constant support instead are being treated in the surroundings which have often either directly caused the mental health distress, or compound the situation.

At Mind Our Minds, we ask the NHS and health secretary to review the efficiency of the CRHT in its current format. We acknowledge that it has helped many people, and continues to do so, but it must be accepted that it has failings as well. Only by reviewing the service can it be adjusted to meet the needs of those who it was set up to help. Only by addressing the huge number of psychiatric units being closed, can we have a mental health system suitable for those in need.

01/08/2016

Mind Our Minds are looking for both a Social Science Graduate or Researcher and a Statistician to help analyse data and write our Report on the 1,000 patient opinions of NHS Mental Health services that we have collected.

The Report will be presented to NHS Managers & used to assist them in prioritising where the most problematic areas of NHS Mental health services are, and therefore where funding is most urgently needed.

The Social Science Researcher should:

Have at least a Graduate Degree

Have experience of quantitative data analysis in project(s) (dissertation advantageous)

Be competent & experienced in statistics and handling large data sets

Be able to present complex data in a format accessible for NHS Managers & Adult Mental Health service users

Sufficient time available

Communicate effectively with professional co-researchers & Mind Our Minds team

The Statistician will be on hand (such as by email) to answer any questions the Researchers need & check over the Report at the end to check it is statistically sound

Statistician should:

Have at least a Graduate Degree in Statistics (or Maths)

Have experience of quantitative data analysis

Be competent & experienced in statistics and handling large data sets

Sufficient time available

Communicate effectively with professional co-researchers & Mind Our Minds team

Be willing to provide support to Psychologists and Social Scientist – be a team player

This will be on a voluntary basis, but we can offer you:

Your name on the Report

The opportunity of helping present the Report to NHS England Mental Health Managers

A reference

Experience & opportunity to use it on your CV

Praises on our Website & Social Media

Future opportunities

Please send an email to jadeelizabethburrell@gmail.com if you’re interested

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